Iran has put forward a proposal to establish a shared nuclear-enrichment venture that would include regional Arab nations and American investments, offering this as an alternative to Washington's insistence that Tehran dismantle its nuclear program completely, according to four Iranian officials with knowledge of the plan who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
The proposal was presented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to American Special Envoy Steve Witkoff during their direct and indirect discussions in Oman on Sunday, as reported by these four Iranian officials, The New York Times has learned. Following these talks, several Iranian media outlets featured front-page stories about "Iran's new plan on the negotiating table," including the newspaper Farhikhtegan, which maintains ties to the Revolutionary Guards Corps and questioned whether the proposal represented "a service or treason."
The spokesman for Mr. Witkoff, Eddie Vasquez, issued a firm denial on Tuesday regarding these claims. "The claim by unnamed sources that a joint nuclear-enrichment venture idea was part of the last round of Iran talks in Oman is completely untrue," he said. "It was never floated or discussed." The New York Times notes that the feasibility of such a regional nuclear partnership would be questionable, particularly since it would require cooperation between Iran and two of its major adversaries, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The United States and Iran have lacked diplomatic relations for 45 years, and private American companies would likely hesitate to invest in Iranian nuclear facilities. During his visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, President Donald Trump criticized Iran for supporting proxy groups in the Middle East that engage in violence, yet expressed openness to a diplomatic solution, The New York Times reports.
"I want to make a deal with Iran,'" Mr. Trump said. "If I can make a deal with Iran, I'll be very happy, if we're going to make your region and the world a safer place." However, the president also emphasized that Iranian leadership must act quickly or face increased economic sanctions, adding, "The time is right now for them to choose," he said. "Right now, we don't have a lot of time to wait."
According to the four Iranian officials and news reports reviewed by The New York Times, the proposed consortium would involve three countries working together, with Iran enriching uranium to levels below what's necessary for weapons development, then shipping this material to other Arab nations for civilian purposes. This arrangement would resemble the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, but with a significant difference – representatives from other nations, potentially including the United States, would maintain a physical presence to provide enhanced oversight and involvement.
The Iranian officials indicated to The New York Times that unlike the 2015 nuclear deal which had a 15-year sunset clause, this joint venture would be permanent. This feature would enable Mr. Trump, who withdrew the United States from the previous agreement, to claim he secured substantially more concessions from Iran than President Barack Obama did.
Ali Vaez, Iran Director of the International Crisis Group, told The New York Times that while this venture concept lacks precedent, negotiators need to explore fresh approaches. "They basically are at a point where they must move beyond the maximum zero sum demands in order for both sides to save face," he said.
Prior to the Oman discussions, tensions between Iran and the United States appeared to be escalating toward a deadlock, raising concerns about potential military conflict, although officials from both nations have expressed their desire to avoid war and resolve the situation through diplomatic channels, The New York Times observes. After contradictory statements regarding Washington's exact demands from Tehran, Mr. Witkoff clarified in an interview with Breitbart News that the United States sought complete dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program, including zero enrichment and closure of three key facilities in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.
Iranian officials have consistently declared that ending their nuclear program crosses a red line, with Foreign Minister Araghchi telling Iranian media that Iran had paid "with blood" for its civilian nuclear program – referencing nuclear scientists assassinated by Israel. He maintained that Iran's right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes represented a matter of "national pride" and was non-negotiable, according to The New York Times reporting.
Despite these stark differences, following their three-hour meeting in Oman, both parties adopted more conciliatory language, describing the negotiations as productive and encouraging. They indicated discussions would advance to technical expert teams who typically handle details concerning nuclear facilities and financial aspects of sanctions relief.
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi stated in a social media post that Sunday's talks included "useful and original ideas reflecting a shared wish to reach an honorable agreement." The New York Times notes that Araghchi visited Saudi Arabia before meeting with American officials and traveled to the United Arab Emirates immediately after his discussions with Mr. Witkoff.
Whether Saudi Arabia and the UAE would express interest in a joint nuclear venture with Iran remains unclear. Both nations have indicated they desire an agreement between Tehran and Washington to prevent regional conflict, but they also harbor ambitions to develop civilian nuclear programs of their own, The New York Times reports. The Emirates became the first Arab country to open a nuclear power plant in 2020, citing the need to reduce oil dependence, though its agreement with the United States prohibits uranium enrichment – a restriction that raised concerns about triggering a nuclear arms race among Arab nations.
Seyed Hossein Mousavian, former Iranian diplomat and member of the 2015 nuclear negotiating team, originally explored the concept of a regional nuclear consortium in a 2023 article published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, co-authored with Princeton physicist Frank von Hippel. In an interview with The New York Times, Mousavian explained that if implemented, this proposal would address several American concerns by reducing Iran's enrichment capacity and stockpile while addressing longer-term worries about Iran reversing course, as it did one year after Mr. Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018.
"If Trump announces a regional nuclear deal, it will be big victory," Mr. Mousavian said. "It removes the immediate and future threat from Iran and contains enrichment ambitions in the region and brings new deals for Americans."
